This Blog is dedicated to generational marketing and communications and hosted by GenerationXpert Suzanne Kart. Suzanne, who is a Gen Xer, has more than 10 years experience writing, speaking, and studying generational communications and has spoken on the local, state, national, and international level. She can be reached at generationXpert@gmail.com

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

An indy entrepreneurial spirit glows in the heart of a former industry town

I live in a smallish town in northern Michigan. The economy is depressed - and the autoworkers have a hard time finding jobs.

However, although the media is constantly reporting how Michigan needs to recruit "high tech manufacturing jobs" to the state, a more interesting thing is happening. The Gen Xers are doing their own thing.

I write a lot about Jeff Gordinier's book X Saves the World - and Gordinier's assertion that Xers are "micro" and "indy" in their approach to work. That's what's happening in my town. Things are supposedly so bad - and yet pretty much everyone I know has a thriving career. I believe it's because most everyone I know is a Gen Xer who never really bought into the Industrial Age model of work (even if we did have to tolerate it for the early part of our careers.)

As Xers, we're often not all that great at speaking up. We kind of have this thing where we don't think we can change your mind, so we don't bother trying. And I think it hurts us. So when the media says everything is terrible, we don't bother correcting them. Today, I am correcting them.

The truth is, if you have a 21st Century Information Age mindset, things are probably going okay for you.

"I don't know where I'm goin - but I sure know where I've been"

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Suzanne Kart

About Suzanne

Suzanne Kart is a writer, presenter and practitioner on marketing and eMarketing. Currently Director of Marketing for the Learning Resources Network (LERN), she is one of the nation’s leading experts on Twitter, social networks and generational communication for lifelong learning. She has more than 16 years experience in the marketing and communications fields. She does workshops across North America on marketing, eMarketing and generational communication.